Process of making a phenolic condensation product



.further heatingof the mass results in a reaction between the hexamethylentetramin UNTiEDFSTATES m1- m iiornca DONALD-S. KENDALL, OEEAS'I. ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ObNDE'NSITE COMPANY OF A MERIOA, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEYfA CORPORATION OF NEW EY. y

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1,418,718. a Ito Drawing.

To all whom it may coicem:

Be it known that I, DONALD S. KENDALL,

-a citizen of the United States, residing at new and useful Improvements in Processes.

of Making a Phenolic Condensation Prod,-

.' not, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to a method of reparing a phenolic condensation pro not which is formed from phenol orhomologues thereof, formaldehyde and heXamethyle-ntetramin. The productformed by the proc-' ess is a fusible, soluble phenol resin or partial condensation product having a quantity of hexa'methylentetramin dissolved therein,

this composition being adapted to pass quickly over to the final infusible condition upon further heating.

In the process disclosed in the patent of J. W. Aylsworth, No.; 1,020,593, March-19th, 1912; a fusible phenolic resin or condensation product is firstpr'epared, anda quantity of hexamethylentetrami r is lncorpo-rated therewith, in a'suitable quantity such that a and the fusible, resin to produce the hard .infusible condensation product. I have now found thataproduct of the general character of that'referred to may be made more effectively or" desirably in 'certain respects by introducin or forming the hexamethylentetramin, W ioh is ultimately used to react with the phenol resin to form the final hard product, at the very beginning of the process, that is beforethe fusible condensa- 'tion product oryresin has itself been formed.

That is to say, phen'ol may be incorporated with sufficient formaldehyde to form a fusible resin and a quantity of hexamethylentetramin also-incorporated in the mass. \At

the end of the reaction by which the fusible resin is formed aquantity of hexamethylentetr-amin will remain dissolved in the resin and free to react therewith upon further heating, the hexamethylentetramin being apparently approximately equal in quantity to that which wasintroduced into or formed-in the mass before the reaction by which the resin was formeda More particularly, I'find it advantageous 'to use as starting ingredients phenol, formaldehyde solution and aqueous ammonia,

Specification of Letters fatenti npplicationfiled May 10,

Patented June 6,1922. 1920. Serial-No. 380,114.

the phenol and formaldehyde being in subof the formaldehyde to form hexarnethylentetramin, the result of this reaction, which takes place lmmediately upon the incorporation of the mass, being to form the amount of hexamethylentetramin which should re-\ main in solution in the resin mation of ,the latter. (Or, an excess of hexamethylentetramin may be formed by the use of a greater amount of ammonia, without ill efl'ect.) An'excess of formaldehyde over that required for reaction with 7 the ammonia is provided, this excess of formaldehyde being sufficient for reaction with the phenol to form the fusible resin. After the formation of the resin the water contained within the mass is removed, prefer- 7 ably by vacuum distillation, leaving as the product of the process'a solid or semi-solid fusible phenolic condensation product or resin having dissolved therein a quantity of hexamethylentetramin sufficient, upon further heating. to react with the fusible resin .to form an infusible condensation product. Various advantages are gained by the process briefly outlined above. Among these may bementioned a considerable decrease in the cost of manufacturingoperations because of the formation of the hexamethyL entetr'amin in the same operation as the fusible. resin. A- further considerable advantage is that the product formed in the manner described, consisting of a fusible phenolic. condensation product with hexamethylentetramin dissolved thereinyin alcohol solution, may be kept at room temperatures for a considerable period of time without any part of the same reacting to a perceptible or harmful degree. When the fusible phenolic condensation product described in the Ayl'sworth Patent No.

1020593, referred to, is dissolved in alcohol so that the effective life of such preparations is limited. The life of the composition formed in the manner referred to herein, is considerably longer.

after the for- 65 process in which 100 parts of phenol, 100

parts of formaldehyde solution and QOparts of aqueous ammonia, by weight, are 1ncorporated together, it is only necessary to maintain the mass for about one hour and thirty minutes at a temperature of from 160 de recs F. to 170 degrees F.

t may be remarked that Patent No.

942,809 granted to Bae'keland December 7,

1909, contains a warning against the use of a large amount of ammonia in the formation of phenolic condensation products because of the formation, in such a case, of hexamethylentetramin. In the present method I have found that the presence of a comparatively large quantity of hexamethylentetramin throughout the process is not harm- 'ful but is apparently beneficial. r

In accordance with my invention, as stated, the ingredlents are incorporated to-' gether, whereuponall of the ammonia and a portion of the formaldehyde immediately combine to form hexameth lentetramin. When the proportions which consider to be the best adapted for the process are used, namely, 100 parts of commercial phenol, 100 parts of commercial 40 per cent formaldehyde solution and 20 parts of commercial aqueous ammonia (26 B.), substantially one-third of the formaldehyde will react with the ammonia'to form hexamethylentetramin. This reaction is exothermic, and there is no application of heat from an, exterior source necessary; As the hexamethylentetramin is formed it is dissolved and remains-in solution in the mass 7 which at this stage is made up of liquid phenol plus the unreacted portion of the formaldehyde, plus the water from the re-. acted formaldehyde and ammonia.

The reaction by which the hexamethylentetramin is formed takes place very rapidly. The ammonia is preferably added slowly to the other ingredients, and when all of the ammonia has been thus added heat is applied, the mass being contained in a suitable closed vessel. As stated, the heat may be app-lied for approximately one hourand thirty minutes at a temperature from 160 F. to 170 F. The free water formed or contained in the mass is then removed, preferably by distillation under a-vacuum. The product formed is a phenolic gum or resin of a clear light yellow color, this product being semi-solid at ordinary room temperatures, and thinly fluid at 200 'Upon the removal of the Water'from the product the hexamethylentetramin contained in the mass goes wholly into solution in the phenolic resin. The roduct may be quickly converted into the nal hard infusible condition by application of heat above 200 F.

In the formation of the fusible product described herein, a number of reactions apparently ensue. A reaction takes place immediately upon the introduction of the ammonia into the mass, between a part of the formaldehyde and the ammonia, as stated,

all of the ammonia present being converted into hexamethylentetramin which remains in there is formed a fusible resin, with the required amount of hexamethylentetramin dissolved in it to carry it to the final ardened and infusible state, after the water present has been separated and further heat applied; as the water is separated by distillation, Whatever hexamethylentetramin was in solution in it goes into solution in the fusible resin which is still in a molten state. There is apparently no loss of any of the in gredients by this process and the quantity of hexamethylentetramin in solution apparentlyremains constant throughout. The

temperatures encountered in these reactions are or may be high enough to induce the final reaction in which heiiamethylentetramin combines with the resin, to form an infusible final product, but the materials are i not exposed long enough to this temperature to carry out the reaction to completion.

In this specification and the appended claims the term phenol should be understood as including oxybenzol and the homologues thereof having an equivalent action such as a mixture of meta and para cresols. It should be understoodthat my invention is not limited strictly to the exact details particularly set forth but is as broad as is indicated by the accompanying claims.

What I claim is 1. The method of forming a phenolic; condensation product which comprises forming a liquid mass consisting of phenol, formaldehyde and water with hexamethylentetramin dissolved therein, the formaldehyde being sufficient to react with the phenol to form a fusible resin and the hexamethylentetramin being suflicient to react with such resin to form an infusible product; and causing the mass to be heated to cause reactions between the phenol, formaldehyde and hexamethylentetramin resulting in the production of a fusible resin containing hexamethylentetramin in solution and containing substantially no uncombined formaldehyde.

2. The method of forming a phenolic condensation product which comprises adding together phenol, formaldehyde solution and aqueous ammonia, the latter in proportion to react with part only of the formaldehyde to form hexamethylentetramin, and causing the mass to be heated to produce a fusible, soluble condensation product containing hexamethylentetramin dissolved therein, said fusible product being at least semi-solid at room temperatures, the hexamethylentetramin being sufficient in quantity to cause the conversion of the mass, after the removal of the water and application of further heating,

being sufficient in quantity to cause hardening of said partial product, on further heating, to substantial infusibility, said partial reaction product being at least semi-solid at ,room temperatures.

4. The method of forming a phenolic condensation product which comprises adding together phenol, formaldehyde solution and aqueous ammonia, the formaldehyde in proportion to react with the phenol, if free to combine therewith, to form an infusible product, and the ammonia in proportion-to react with a substantial proportion ofthe.

formaldehyde, to form hexamethylentetrai'n in, and to leave unchanged formaldehyde suflicient to react with the phenol to form a fusible resin, and causing the mass to be heated to form a fusible, solubi-e, condensation product having hexamethylentetramin "dissolved therein, the latter being sufficient in quantity to cause hardening of said fusible resin on further heating to substantial infusibility, and said fusible product being at least semi-solid at room't'emperatures.

5. The method of forming a phenolic condensation product which comprises forming a liquid mass in which phenol, formaldehyde and hexamethylentetramin and a solvent for hexamethylentetramin are contained in solution, the formaldehyde being sufiicient to react with the phenol to form a fusible; resin and the hexamethylentetramin,being s'uflicient to react with such resin to form an in fusible product, causing thegmass to be heated to produce a fusible condensation product with hexamethylentetramin in solution, and

removing water from the mass, said fusible product being at least semi-solid at room temperatures.

6. The method of forming a phenolic condensation product which comprises adding together substantially 100 parts of phenol, 100 parts of 40iper cent formaldehyde solu-' tion and 20 parts of aqueous ammonia 26 Baum, by weight, heating the mass at a temperature less than 212 F. sufiiciently to form a fusible resin, with water and dissolved hexamethylentetramin, and boiling off the water.

This specification signed and witnessed this 4th dayof May, 1920.

DONALD s. KENDALL.

Witnesses:- I s KENINETH W. MAGKSEY, Gnonon F. HOMNAN. 

